As I was driving to Bend over the Santiam Pass last year, I was taken by the view. There, just ahead of me, the heavy grey clouds abruptly ended and blue sky began. It looked like God had drawn a line in the sky with Her crayons. It was dramatic. Behind me was darkness and compression. Ahead of me lay the promise of spaciousness, light and breath.
This is what it feels like to emerge from depression.
We all get the blues from time to time. We all have stories to tell. When we get stuck in our story and let the story get stuck in our bodies, this is depression.
It seems strange to say that I am excited about a workshop dealing with depression, but I really am. I am so excited to share with you tools that I use myself. In Yoga Body Mind Skills for Depression, we will learn poses, breath work, and meditations designed to move energy up, out and around our body. We will explore ways to bring our story out of shadow and into the light in order to become more whole beings.
James Gordon states on page 1 of his book Unstuck, “I understand depression to be the beginning of an unfolding process of self-awareness, not the grim end of a disease process….depressions’ signs and symptoms can be used as opportunities rather than viewed as catastrophes.” The process is still unfolding for me, but with this understanding of depression I do not have to leave the grey clouds behind. I just have to see where they lead.
Are you ready to start your journey?
This 8 week series begins on April 2, 7-8:30pm, and lasts thru May 21st. Click here to register!

Yoga asks us to use our breath and awareness to tune into sensation in the body. When backpacking, my husband and I will sometimes ask each other “should we continue on or stay in this spot”? Before answering, a body scan is useful. How does my back feel? How do my feet and legs feel? What is the upcoming terrain and how will that affect my body? In yoga class the same dialogue can happen. Should I go deeper into a pose, should I back off , or should I stay where I am? By diving into bodily sensation and the rhythm of my breath, my body will tell me the answer to that question and it is my job to listen!
Yin yoga is a practice that I find useful to work with these questions. Yin yoga is a style of yoga where floor supported postures are held for 3 to 5 minutes (or longer) at a time. It differs from restorative yoga in that these poses can be quite intense, though that is up to my body and my breath to determine! As I settle into the pose, I know I have some time to figure out my answers to these questions. This gives me the tools I need in more active yoga classes, and my life, to ask and answer similar questions.
If you are wondering what you would say to these questions, or are wondering what this style of yoga is about, try out my upcoming Yin Yoga class on March 30. We will spend about an hour doing yin yoga poses, with additional time for pranayama, meditation, and relaxation. And the next time you are at a trail crossing, you will have the tools to say “let’s sit and enjoy the view” or “let’s go for it”!

Join Irene for a 90 minute Yin Yoga class, Saturday, March 30th, 2-3:30pm. Included in membership, one off a class pass. Sign in here.

Contentment. Yoga philosophy teaches us that practicing Santosha, contentment, is one fundamental piece of the foundation of enlightenment. Practicing contentment, mmmmm. Practicing contentment I find myself not worrying about enlightenment. I arrive at the here and now of today and take joy and pleasure of what is. A warm day. Daffodils. Petting the dog. Walking. Talking with a friend. Life is full of sensory pleasures waiting to be appreciated. This is how we practice Santosha. Enjoying and appreciating the pleasures of the moment.
In our Asana practice we return again and again to the awareness of the flesh. Opening the mind to the wisdom and guidance of the flesh to learn Santosha. My body will tell me when it is appropriate to push my flesh into a challenging or unfamiliar pose and when it needs the rest of a restorative practice. I let my body guide me to what it needs. Where the body goes the mind will follow. My body can teach my mind Santosha.
I offer you these practices because I value contentment and these practices have taught me contentment, with a wonderful side effect of radiant health and wellbeing. If you are in need of deep rest, try the Restorative Yoga Class on 1st and 3rd Fridays at 7:00p. If you are ready to turn your world upside down, try Angie’s Inversions Laboratory tomorrow 3/3 at 2pm. If you are need of a firmer foundation, come to my Pelvic Floor lab next week, 3/10 at 2pm. Ask your body what it needs. It won’t answer in English, but in the subtle language of the body, with images, sensations, colors, and intuition. It will speak to you if you listen.
Your body can teach you Santosha.